Collapsible door



Jan. 9, 1951 G. A. zANDELlN ETAL COLLAPSIBLE DOOR Filed Nov. 29, 1946 Patented Jan. 9, 1951 [TED PATIENT '0F-FICE --Gustaf Adolf Zandeiin, Malmo, and Johan Samuel .Zamlelim'StonkholnL Sweden, assignorsto Sven Erik Johannes zHellsten, Malmo, Sweden 'ApplicatonNovenjiber 29, 1946, Serial No. 712,750 ""InSweiclen August 11, 11945 *Oneobject of the invention is Vto provide-a vil ldoor of Athis type which is oi' neat appearance `and thus suitable for use indoors.

-Another related object isf to provide suona door `Vsubstantially from nonmeta'llio material, pref- -eraoly wood, forming a `self-susta'ining unit of light weight -whic-hseasy to assemole and mount inthe doorway and facile-to manipulate Awhen mounted.

The invention consists/inthe construction and novel combination 'and arrangement fo'f parts 'hereinafter fully described, "illustrated on the accompanying drawingand pointed -out fin jthe claims hereunto appended.

On rsaid drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of `a-dual door-embodying'our invention, in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a similar VView ill-ustrating-ithefdoorin open position.

Fig. 3 isa horizontal sectional viewfon; an enlarged scale, along line III-Ill in IVAFig. l lwith parts of a lazy-tongs device at the top of fthe door and guiding rollers associated therewith indicated in dash-and-dot lines.

Fig.l fr is a hor'izontalsectional view, on an enlargefl scale, along line -IV-ll] in Fig. 2.

5 vis a fragmentaryvertical vsectional View, on anenlargedscalaalong line V-V in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View, on a reduced scale-*substantially-along line 'VI*VI in Fig. `5 illustrating in the guiding rollers seated at the ends of two guiding grooves in 'the closed positionof the door.

As may be seen :from the drawing *the embodiment of our invention shownthereonconsists of a double door the two sections or leavesof which are generally denoted-by I in Figs. 'landZeach section being collapsible or fo-ldable from the position illustrated in Fig. l to thepo'sitionillustrated in 2 or any intermediate position. The special design of said collapsible Y'doorleaves i will yloe described in greater detail in the following but hereit may be sufficient to mention that each 'leaf l dorms 'a self-sustaining Yunit composed kof a `.plurality 4of elements fhinged Vtogether Yand supported inthe 'doorway or dooroase 2 'solely'by pins providing pivots at thetop and bottoinof one vertical side of `eac-h section il, one of fsaidjpivots beingindicated a't in Figs 3 and 4.

As may 'be seen particularly from said YJ'last (C1. ISU-118) mentioned figures each door leaf 'is made `trom -ra plurality of rectangular panels preferably of ywoodor -any'other `'appropriate nonmetallic light Weight materia-1, Vsuch-as synthetic resimhingedly connected 'together as indicated atiyabout axes `parallel "to the "vertical :sidesof `panels 5. The hinges proper :are not speciically shown to avoid unnecessary"complication'of the Tdrawing but-are preferably letinto'thefacesfoffeach pair of adjacent panels y5 abutting eachother at l in :"Fig. 3 in the olosed'position ofV thedoor. Besides'each' panel 5 at one vertical Siders-formed with a moulding -8 which may :be :secured-to the panel proper or made integrally Itl-ierewith as shown on 'the drawing. The outer-"face .of moulding l-8 is rounded-off, --preferably to substantially `semicircularshape asshown and the'fi'nnerffacie of .moulding l8 is flat and bears -tightl-y'on the outer'face of A`the ladjacent panel *5 at thefma-rginalface E9 thereof in the-closedposition-of the door. -By this means moulding 8 not only effects a .sealing between adjacent panels Seat @in addition tothe `sealing at l but -also-eiectively loonceals the Vjoint 'at -l fas -well as thefslit formed thereat when vthe door is moved lfrom its Yclosed positionthrough' any partially open intermediate position -to the fully v.open position vshown in Fig. 4.

From the `forego-ing -it may he .seen-that Vmouldings .8 extending transverselyfrom one longitudinal edge `of each .panel 5 `tor-m .simple land /eeotive .means .for .electing :a .sealing between adjacent vrpanels 5 .and assist materially to the neat appearance of the door --as vmay be seen romlrigs. 1 .and.2.

In the form of our invention illustrated vthe panelso'feach .door-'leaf are eight in number and in the closedposition-of the -door adiacentpanels 5 are at right angles to each other but it is to'be understood that both the number of panels and theangle therebetween may vary to suit various requirements met in practice. If vthe panels meet at'an obtuse v`angle'tluen"obviously a smaller .number of panels may be .usedto span aldoori'vay or? predetermined width Vbut on .the other hand when the Yangle referred 'to is increased then it *becomes more uiiicultto `move Vthe panels 'from their `:fiilty expanded position toward their Ycontra-'rated position. In `-bmlding doors according lto our invention we have Yfound vthat angles )substantiallyof '90 between adjacent vpanels 1in the closed position v"of the door-as Aa rule v'are :to *be rpreferred 'in practice.

'As .shown 'rin 4 the panels -15 when the door is fully opened are situated face to face Land occupy thus the smallest possible space in the doorway.

To secure that in the expansion of the series of hingedly interconnected rigid panels 5 the individual panels 5 are located each with its general plane inclined at substantially the same angle to the general plane of the expanded series we employ a single lazy tongs device at the top of each door-leaf I. In the embodiment shown one-half of said lazy tongs device is formed by the interconnected panels 5 whereas the remainder of said device is formed by a series of links I!) pivotally connected intermediate their ends to panels 5 as indicated at II in Fig. 3 and likewise pivotally connected to one another at each end as indicated at I2 in Fig. 3.

As may be seen from Figs. 3 and 5 one of the pivot studs II for each door-leaf extends above the level of links i and carries at its upper Lend a roller I3 rotatively mounted thereon and received in a guiding groove I4 formed between rails I5 secured to the bottom face of top member I 6 of door case 2. Preferably roller I3 is associated with the extreme panel 5 of each series of interconnected panels 5 as shown but it `is within the scope of the invention to mount such roller or rollers on any desired panel or panels to secure the desired guiding of the series of interconnected panels in expanding and contracting each door leaf I.

At its bottom each door leaf I is guided by one or more rollers I8 secured to one or more of panels 5 and running in a groove I'I in sill 3.

In the embodiment shown grooves I4 are inclined at a small angle with respect to the general plane of the door and form seats adjacent their juxtaposed inner ends, as indicated at i9, for the rollers I3 of each door leaf in the closed position of the door. The inclination of guiding grooves I4 has principally for its object to assist in moving moulding 8 associated with the extreme right-hand panel 5 of the left-hand door leaf I beyond the outer end of the extreme left-.

hand panel 5 of the right-hand door leaf in closing the door and when the free ends of the two panels just referred to thus have passed each other rollers I3 enter seats I9 whereby said two end panels 5 are caused to overlap each other as shown in Fig. 3 thereby simultaneously locking the two door leafs I to each other to prevent any unintentional opening of the door.

The above feature of the invention although specifically shown and described with reference to a double leaf door may of course also be applied to in a single leaf door of the present collapsible type in which the inclined guiding groove may be utilized to stabilize and lock the collapsible door leaf in its closed position.

To render the mechanism above the door leaves substantially non-visible from the outside horizontal panels attached to the opposite sides of member I6 and depending therefrom extend beyond the upper margins of panels 5 as shown. Secured to the inner faces of panels 25 are horizontal panels 2| extending inwardly at right angles thereto and leaving an opening between their juxtaposed ends for pivot studs II and spacing members 22 surrounding said studs.

It is to be understood that the inveniton is not 'limited to the embodiment illustrated and specifically described in the foregoing as the details of construction may be modied in many respects without departing from the spirit of the invention. Y

What we claim is:

1. A collapsible door, comprising in combination a series of rigid panels interconnected by hinges at their longitudinal edges and forming a self-sustaining unit, the edges of said panels having recesses in which said hinges are seated, said unit being supported solely by pins providing pivots at the top and bottom of one vertical side of a doorway, said doorway having an inner horizontal face, a lazy-tongs device at the top of said unit, said panels being connected respectively with elements of said lazy-tongs device at least one roller rotatively mounted at the top of said unit and received in a guiding groove formed at the inner horizontal face of said doorway, and mouldings at the adjacent longitudinal edges of said panels to seal said panels in the expanded position of said unit and conceal slits formed therebetween in contracting said unit in moving the door from closed to open position.

2. A collapsible door, comprising in combination a series of rigid panels interconnected by hinges at their longitudinal edges and forming a self-sustaining unit, the edges of said panels having recesses in which said hinges are seated, said unit being supported solely by pins providing pivots at the top and bottom of one vertical side of a doorway, said doorway having an inner horizontal face, a lazy-tongs device at the top of said unit, said panels being connected respectively with elements of said lazy-tongs device one-half of said lazy-tongs device being formed by said panels, a series of interconnected links forming the remainder of said lazy-tongs device, at least one roller rotatively mounted at the top of said unit and received in a guiding groove formed at the inner horizontal face of said doorway, and moulding-s at the adjacent longitudinal edges of said panels to seal said panels .in expanded position of said unit and conceal the slits formed therebetween in contracting said unit in moving the door from closed to open position.

3. A collapsible door, comprising in combination a series of rigid panels interconnected by` hinges at their longitudinal edges and forming a self-sustaining unit, the edges of said panels having recesses in which said hinges are Seated, said unit being supported solely by pins providing pivots at the top and bottom of one vertical side of a doorway, said doorway having anL inner horizontal face, a lazy-tongs device at the top of said unit, said panels being connected respectively With elements of said lazy-tongs device at least one roller rotatively mounted at the top of said unit and received in a guiding groove formed at the inner horizontal face of said doorway and inclined at a small angle with respect to the plane of said door, and mouldings at the adjacent longitudinal edges of said panels to seal said panels in the expanded position of said unit and conceal slits formed therebetween in contracting said unit in moving the door from closed to open position. I

4. A collapsible door= comprising in combination a series oi rigid panels interconnected by hinges at their longitudinal edges and forming a self-sustaining unit, the edges of said paneis having recesses in which said hinges are seated, said unit being supported solely by pins providing pivots at the top and bottom of one vertical side 0f a doorway, said doorway having an inner horizontal face, a lazy-tongs device at the top of said unit, said panels being connected respectively with elements of said lazy-tongs device at least one roller rotatively mounted at the top of said unit and received in a guiding groove formed at the inner horizontal face of said doorway and inclined at a small angle with respectl to the plane of said door, a seat at one end of said inclined groove for receiving said roller in the expanded position of said unit, and mouldings at the adjacent longitudinal edges of said panels to seal said panels in the expanded position of said unit and conceal slits formed therebetween in contracting said unit in moving the door from closed to open position.

5. A double leaf collapsible door, comprising in combination two separate series of rigid panels each forming one door leaf, the panels of said series being interconnected by hinges at their longitudinal edges to form two separate self-sustaining units, the edges of said panels having recesses in which said hinges are seated, said units being supported solely by pins providing pivots at the top and bottom of the opposite Vertical sides of a doorway, said doorway having an inner horizontal face, a lazy-tongs device at the top of each unit, said panels being connected respectively with elements of said lazy-tongs device at least one roller rotatively mounted at the top of each unit, a guiding groove formed at the inner side of said doorway for receiving each roller, said grooves being inclined at a small angle with respect to the plane of said door, a, seat at one end of each groove for receiving the respective rollers in the expanded position of said units, and mouldings at the adjacent longitudinal edges of said panels to seal said panels in the expanded position of said units and interlock said units in the closed position of the door.

GUSTAF ADOLF ZANDELIN.

JOHAN SAMUEL ZANDELIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 582,240 Springer May 11, 1897- 1,351,229 Bombelli Aug, 31, 1920 1,463,346 Walker July 31, 1923 2,066,558 Dautrick Jan. 5, 1937 

